Gardens are so colourful in April after all the yellows of the early spring. The purple flowers of Cercis, followed by the pink of Bauhinias (known as the 'Camel Foot Tree' after the unusual shape of the leaves) burst into bloom. They can attain great heights so are really not suitable for the average garden. In warmer areas wisteria flower buds, looking like elongated catkins, should be opening and the pendulous flowers will hang gloriously down from the many branches in shades of pink or purple. The tiny fruits of the early figs (Ficus carica) are swelling, appearing before any sign of leaves, whilst the later fruiting varieties have their leaves first.  New burnished copper leaves of pomegranates rival the brilliant new red growth of Photinia 'Red Robin' making the garden so colourful! 

Having given your vegetable plot a short rest after the winter season, dig in lots of compost, to help the new plants grow well. It is best not to use chemicals on plants you are going to eat. There are several kinds of lettuce, which along with coriander provide a wonderful basis for summer salads. Plugs of beef tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes are available too, giving you a wide choice. Sink a plant pot beside each tomato plant and put the water in that. Tomatoes like a high potassium feed for good fruits, so check on the back of the plant food label for the dosage if you feed with that. Once night temperatures are a little higher you can plant sweet corn plugs.  Corn is wind pollinated so grow your plants in a square and the pollen will hopefully land on the embryonic husks underneath.